I’ve been watching the machinations we call the federal government. The state level isn’t much better, but let’s stick to the really disappointing stuff.
The
upcoming campaign season is starting to be about socialism, left-wing terribleness,
or even worse, a candidate name that doesn’t appear in Burke’s Peerage.
The Founding Fathers got it right when they created three co-equal branches of government. The Federalist Papers (51) warned of the dangers of a strong president and a weak legislature. They should have added a weak judiciary.
Many conservatives live by a singular mantra: the government that governs least governs best. No one wants the government interfering too much in their daily lives, but I would suggest that the role of government is to do good things for its people: to ensure that all people are treated equally, to ensure they have a good life, that they can secure happiness for themselves and their families, that they are free from oppression.
We have done big and bold things in the past. We can continue to do great things again. The fear of big government is no excuse for no government at all.
Think Tennessee Valley Authority, Social Security, Rural Electrification, Affordable Care Act, Medicare, the Civil Rights Act, putting a man on the moon,
As we move closer to November’s election season, it is time to ask what we should reasonably expect government to accomplish for the ordinary citizens. I have a few suggestions that I would proffer to any candidate running for national office.
Reasonable taxes for all: Our progressive federal tax system is broken. Every individual and every corporation should pay their fair share. People who don’t make much money shouldn’t pay much. Those who make a lot should pay a lot. Everyone should pay the same percentage of their wages and investment income in Social Security taxes regardless of income level.
Healthcare for all: We are one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t consider healthcare a human right. There are models out there that demonstrate how an efficient and effective system can work: the Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente, for example. Both are committed to a systems approach to medicine and healthcare. Healthcare needs to be universal, no matter which plan we use to pay for it. But we know one thing for sure: for-profit hospitals are in the business of making a profit, not healthcare, and private insurance companies are in the business of making a profit, not paying clients’ bills.
Safe
drinking water for all: Millions
of people lack basic clean water in their homes. Municipal water systems across
the country don’t meet the Safe Drinking Water Act standard for purity and
absence of contaminants. Everyone deserves clean drinking water.
Broadband
for all: Every
home should have access to high-quality internet services. The world’s
technology is changing the way almost everything works, how people communicate,
how people work, how we educate. Those without broadband will be left behind.
Livable
wages for all: The
last time minimum wages were raised, I had almost no white hair. The current
federal minimum wage is way below the poverty level for many families in
various parts of the country. People should be able to expect a reasonably
comfortable life working one job.
Mental
healthcare for all who need it: Too many people cannot get good mental health care even
though there are several programs designed to help them. Those programs tend
not to be built into an effective delivery system. We lack clinics. Patients
have to work their way through a maze of overlapping regulations. Many don’t
have sufficient insurance coverage. We should build and support mental health
clinics and services for everyone, not just those with great insurance.
A
campaign platform for all:
Don’t tell me who you fear and dislike. Being anti-Trump or pro-Trump is not a
platform. Tell us what you intend to do to help make us a better country. I
just gave you some ideas. I don’t want to go back. Life wasn’t all that great
for everyone back then. Too many were left out of the good life.
So,
you want my vote? Tell me what you are going to do about healthcare, wages,
taxes, water, technology, mental illness, and the quality of American life. Tell
me what you intend to build – not what you plan to tear down.
